The Next Generation: The Fox and the Crow
by KuroEnzeru
Summary: Full title: "The Next Generation: The Fox and the Crow. Can the fire rest the dead?" Asura has been defeated, and 21 years have passed. The next generation of meisters and weapons are well on their ways to making Death Scythes. But when a new enemy arises, are they ready to fight? Anime-based, rated for violence, suggestive themes, mild language. Accepting minor OCs.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you for clicking on the magical blue words that opened this fanfiction! This is my first story, and I'm hoping it'll be good. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Soul Eater. Too bad. I only own the plot of this fanfic and the characters I made up.**

**Well, enjoy!**

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"How fun it would be to cut you open."

The girl's tone and sadistic grin were so much like her father's that it was disturbing. She looked like him too, which added to the creepiness.

"Luckily for you, though, I'm not allowed to dissect you. My mission is to kill you. But that will be fun, too."

Athena Stein laughed manically. Her glasses flashed eerily in the moonlight. "It just won't be fun for you."

The Kishin she fought growled, blood dripping from its distorted jaws. It ran towards her.

Smirking, Athena stood still, and then leapt sideways at the last second. The demon slammed face-first into a wall behind her.

Athena twirled the weapon in her hands. It was a huge, heavy silver sledgehammer. She spun it as though it weighed nothing more than a plastic baton.

The dazed Kishin egg turned slowly, staggering and hissing.

Before it could recover, Athena slammed the hammer into the Kishin's deformed shoulder. It let out an inhuman scream and the sickening sound of bones breaking made Athena grin. Blood burst from the Kishin's mouth.

Another twirl of the hammer. The end of the handle was tapered to a razor-sharp blade, like a knife, which came in handy.

Like now.

The blade flashed.

With another unnatural shriek, the soul eating demon's body literally unwound, like black ribbons, as the blade cut through its soul. The black ribbons imploded, manifesting the soul. It hovered above the ground, a marbled red glowing orb.

Athena sighed regretfully. "When am I ever going to be allowed to dissect one of them?" She muttered.

Athena was short, thanks to her mother's genes, but didn't seem that way. She got her mother Marie's generous figure as well. And the worst of her parent's personalities.

Often the girl was unnervingly calm and cynical, even when describing a horrible event or killing a mob of Kishin. Other times she was as, shall we say,_ passionate_ as Marie. And sometimes, she was just crazy, as she had some of her father's residual madness in her soul's wavelength.

Her silver-white hair was short, worn in a style similar to her father's, but it was longer and wavy. Her eyes, hidden behind round glasses, where the rich, warm golden brown that matched her mother's. She wore a dark gray, V-neck tank top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of her "Aunt" Maka's old boots, the ones with the straps. She also wore one of her dad's stitched lab coats, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She wore black fingerless gloves that covered her hands and wrists, to protect her hands from friction from wielding the heavy hammer. Around her neck was a thin, dark silver necklace with a lightning bolt charm with tiny stitches on it, a gold and black butterfly, and a tiny emerald book shaped charm.

She, like her father, was covered in stitches. They were self-inflicted, not experiments by her father. She had his scientific curiosity, his brilliance, and his madness. The stitches scarred her left forearm. Another scar curved across her stomach and a third resided on her face, twisting from her right temple, under her eye, over the bridge of her nose and to her chin, barely touching the corner of her lip. Of course, she didn't have a huge screw through her head. Marie had panicked enough when she saw her daughter's stitches.

The head of her sledgehammer was octagonal, solid, bright silver. On each of the flat faces, there was a yellow-gold circle with a lightning bolt in it.

"Athena, we need all the souls we can get. I want to be a Death scythe like Mom," the hammer said calmly.

"Oh, just go eat the soul, Chris," Athena grumbled. She tosses the hammer carelessly towards the soul.

With a yellow flash of light the hammer became a boy the same age as Athena, 16, with blonde hair, who happened to turn human upside-down in midair. He shot out his hands and pushed off the ground, grabbing the soul when he back flipped over it. He landed in a crouch. Standing, he gave Athena an irritated look before gulping the soul.

Christopher Stein was Athena's twin brother. His soft, yellow blonde hair was gently spiked up in a sort of loose Mohawk style. His eyes were the same olive green/hazel color of his father's. He wore a black polo shirt with a yellow tie, black jeans with a yellow and white checkered belt, and white and yellow Converse. He also wore black and white checkered wristbands and silver rings on his ring and middle fingers that have yellow lightning bolt patterns. He was tall and slim, thanks to Stein's genes. He was the opposite of his twin in personality; Chris was quiet and shy and a bit self-conscious. He rarely got angry or even upset.

Except with Athena.

She gave her brother an innocent smile that still looked sadistic.

"Did you really have to throw me, Athena?" Chris asked, annoyed.

Athena's smile became a smirk. "Yes. Yes I did."

Chris glared at Athena, then sighed. He ran one hand through his softly spiked hair and said, "Come on, time to get home. We need to tell Lord Death about our mission's success, too. Without mentioning anything about dissection please," He added when Athena opened her mouth.

Athena stuck her tongue out but nodded. They turned and headed back to Death City.

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**I'm not used to writing in third person. I probably won't do that much, except the first three chapters and maybe for added suspense later.**

**Okay, now, some requests? I'm pretty new to this site, so I'm not sure what some things mean. OCs are made up characters. What does the O stand for, since C is obviously character? Fluff is like, cute romantic stuff, and lemons are... explicit things. My friend told me that. What are limes?**

**I think that's really all I need to say about the site and stuff. **

**Also, if you guys want, I can add in other OCs from you readers, though they won't be main characters. Just review with a detailed description of him/her!**

**Thanks for reading! Please review! Constructive criticism accepted, no flames, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter of my first fanfiction! As you can probably tell, since it says Chapter Two... yeah... well, enjoy! Please review!**

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"Maki!"

"Hey, it's not my fault!"

"Yeah, it was!"

"Both of you shut up before I dissect you!"

Jerakai Merrix shuddered slightly. The green and black scythe in his hands flashed and a girl appeared from the shoulders up on the blade. Her shoulders were bare, as in weapon form, the distorted black space the weapon's human forms go apparently does not allow clothes. "Sorry, professor," she said sheepishly, her voice warped slightly.

Doctor Franken Stein, a teacher at the DWMA for over 20 years now, sighed and twisted the giant screw in his head. "Try it again."

Jerakai nodded and turned back to the Kishin-shaped dummy they used for practice. His gloved hands tightened on the handle of the scythe.

"Let's go, Soul Resonance!"

Focusing on each other's soul wavelength, the pair tuned their own wavelengths to the other. Yelling wordlessly in unison from the effort, Jerakai raised the scythe behind his shoulders in preparation to strike.

"WITCH HUNTER!"

The blade shuddered, then exploded outwards into a huge, colorful, glowing crescent blade.

Jerakai's eyes fluttered, but he whipped the scythe forward, decapitating the dummy. His knees bent, his eyes shut, and he fell to the ground, which effectively cut off his connection to Maki.

The scythe turned into her human form as she fell, kneeling on the grass next to her unconscious meister.

Maki Evans looked a lot like her grandfather. Her long hair, pulled back in a low ponytail reaching her waist, was bright, deep red. Her bangs were short and floppy, with two longer locks framing her thin, soft face. She had her mother's bright emerald green eyes. She only took after her father in her scythe form's almost identical looks, with her form having green instead of red, and her slightly sharper than normal teeth.

She wore a green, black and white plaid skirt that was a bit longer than the red one her mother Maka wore at her age, black leggings that hugged her long thin legs to her knees, and bright green Converse high tops. She also had on a green corset with a cropped black half shirt tied over the top of it. Her arms were covered in brightly colored rubber bracelets with band names and cute sayings and the like. Around her neck was a darkly gleaming thin silver chain with a gold and black butterfly charm, a green book charm, and a small yellow-gold lightning bolt charm with a tiny stitch running across it.

Maki gave her partner a worried look. "Professor Stein, will he be okay?"

Stein rolled over in his patched-up chair (how he does that on grass and stairs, no one will ever know) and gave the unconscious boy a glance. "Yeah, he's fine. He just wasn't expecting that much power in Witch Hunter, so his soul was weakened ever so slightly, though this is temporary. He'll be up in a minute or two." The still slightly mad scientist pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his teeth. He pulled out a lighter and said wryly, "I swear, if Black Star wasn't all 'I'm gonna surpass God!' and was as much a lady's man as Spirit, he'd have been Jerakai."

"Professor!"

"I'm just saying." The silver haired scientists lit his cigarette and thought absently, _I'm glad I did that experiment that prevented me from getting lung cancer. Maybe I should patent it. Could save lives. Get new experiment test subjects, too. Would Marie let me?_

Jerakai groaned and blinked open his dark eyes. "M-Maki?"

Maki looked back to her meister. "I'm right here."

"Did it work?"

She grinned. "Yes."

Jerakai closed his eyes and nodded. Then his eyes opened again and he leapt to his feet, fist in the air. "Yeah! We are unbeatable, yo! We'll save the world and I'll be a hero!" He smirked. "And chicks dig heroes."

Maki sighed and started to pull out a book, preparing to perform the move she'd learned from her mother. Jerakai noticed and hurriedly turned to his teacher. "See professor?"

"Yes, it was great until you passed out," Stein commented calmly, blowing out a puff of smoke.

Jerakai's smirk turned into a sullen glare.

The boy was almost 16 years old, a few months older than Maki. His skin was dark, the color of coffee with a bit of cream. He was mixed. His eyes were so dark brown they almost looked black. His black hair was worn in cornrows that stopped at the nape of his neck, hidden by a flat brim, black and blue checkered baseball hat worn sideways. He was tall and muscular, like a football player. He wore a thick, blue and white hoodie, a black T-shirt with the Shinigami skull, dark blue jeans with a black leather belt (worn where they are supposed to be, at his waist. Wearing them lower is uncool, according to his weapon's father, and it also impaired his movement in battle), and white and blue basketball sneakers. On his hands were short black gloves.

Maki put the book away and stood up. "Jerakai, we still did it," she said. "We just need a bit more practice so your soul can get used to it. Then we will be one of the best teams at the DWMA."

"One of? You mean THE best!"

Stein sighed. "For a few years, blissful peace from all this egotistical stuff. If I didn't know Black Star's still alive I'd swear he's reincarnated in that boy," he muttered into his cigarette.

"We still need practice, though, Jerakai," Maki was saying.

Jerakai nodded to his weapon. "Right. Should we try again?"

His answer was a sharp-toothed grin and a flash of green light.

Two hours and a lot of cursing and threats of dissection and experimentation later, Maki and Jerakai could keep up Witch Hunter for nearly two minutes without arguing or one of them passing out.

Stein watched quietly for the most part. He could see Maka, Spirit, and Soul in Maki. Her careful thinking and planning, stubbornness, loyalty and brilliance were obviously Maka's. Soul's sense of humor, occasional impulsiveness, and self-sacrificing nature. Spirit's looks, for sure, but also his passion (though Maki's was controlled a lot better and geared differently) and his sharp protective instinct.

He hoped Jerakai, the ambitious, powerful, devoted, yet clueless and easily sidetracked scythe meister, would improve, and learn to match his soul's wavelength better to Maki's, who had the barest hint of her mother's Soul Perception, as much as a weapon could have.

He blew out another puff of smoke and recalled the previous night. He'd spent it with Marie.

Stein grinned at the memory and wondered if Marie had washed the bed sheets.

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**Hehe... Jerakai is fun to write... and I just had to put in that thing at the end. **

**Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter, and we meet the reapers!**

**By the way, I'm considering writing a Kid Icarus: Uprising fanfiction, too. I have the prologue and a lot of the first chapter written on paper. If/when I post it, hope you guys will read it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: :D third chapter in three days... on a roll! Don't expect updates this fast later, though. I haven't typed up chapter four yet... yeah... anyway, this chapter has Kid! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: forgot this last chapter. I don't own Soul Eater. Black Star would be less annoying if I owned it and Crona's hair wouldn't be pink.**

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"Arora, can you please just-"

"No."

"B-But it's so asy-"

"Asymmetrical? Yes, and your point is?"

Death the Kid- who really wasn't much of a kid anymore, at age 37- stared at his daughter, Arora, in horror. He looked almost exactly the same as he had when he was the same age as Arora, 16 going on 17. He wore the same style of suit, but with a smaller tie. He can connect his Sanzu lines at will now, but chooses not to because although he would be symmetrical, he is afraid his father will die, even though Lord Death has told his son several times that it won't kill him, just cause him a slight pain***1***.

Kid had married a lovely meister named Hannah who had transferred to the Academy not long after the Kishin Asura's defeat. It had been love at first sight for the two of them. Her symmetry, OCD for neatness, and charming personality had Kid falling and Kid's good looks, strong and kind disposition and occasional, amusing panic attacks quickly had Hannah head-over-heals.

Right now, Hannah was in the huge kitchen in Gallows Manor, trying to get their son, Renner, to eat. The youngest Reaper had just turned one.

Arora was, as far as Kid knew, the only female Grim Reaper. She had the same black hair and two-toned gold eyes and he and her brother, as well as the Sanzu lines on the left side of her head.

However, she was opposite her father in personality. It showed in the way she dressed.

Her silky hair fell perfectly straight, ending a little bit past her shoulders. Her bangs covered her right eye, worn emo-style. She wore a loose, oversized, 80's style top that hung off her left shoulder. It was black and white striped, horizontally. The lacy black strap of her bra stood out sharply against the pale skin on her shoulder. She wore black lace leggings and knee high, black leather stiletto boots. She wore one lace fingerless glove on her right arm and a leather one with tiny dark silver chains on it on her left arm. Matching, dark silver chains hooked to her leggings on the right side, wrapping around her waist. She had a thin, dark silver necklace with three charms- a black and gold butterfly, a yellow-gold lightning bolt with tiny stitches on it, and a bright green book shaped charm. She had a small tattoo on her left collarbone. It was the Shinigami skull with beautiful gold and black butterfly wings. Her long nails where black with random gold streaks.

Probably the most significant differences between Arora and her father were her rebellious streak and her indifference to symmetry. She went out of her way to be asymmetrical. She loved her father, but he was too controlling of her sometimes.

Kid opened his mouth to say something, but a loud ringing stopped him. He gave his beloved, infuriating daughter a stressed look before going to answer the door.

His expression brightened when he saw who was standing on the porch. "Hello, Ben," the reaper said, smiling.

Benjamin Williams smiled in greeting. "Hello, Kid," he replied, his voice quiet and even and rather accented. Ben and his mother had moved to Death City from London, England when they discovered he was a weapon. Kid liked the young weapon. Not only was he a relative of his own weapons (Liz was a Death Scythe now, and Patty just needed a witch's soul. They still lived in Gallows Manor, but were on a vacation right now) but he was respectful and smart and, well, symmetrical.

Ben had dark brown hair with chocolate colored highlights, the bangs a lot like Kid's but slightly shorter, with the locks framing his face longer. The rest of it was just long enough to brush his shoulders. He was tan from spending a lot of time outside in the sun. What he did, only Arora knew, and she knew how to keep a secret. He wore square, blue wire glasses that slipped down his narrow nose a lot. He wore black dress pants, black dress shoes, a white dress shirt with a blue and purple striped tie, and a dark blue blazer with soft violet material inside and violet cuffs. The buttons on the cuffs were little gold and black butterflies and there were black and white Shinigami skull patches on each shoulder of the blazer.

His eyes were unusual but amazing. They were oddly wide and innocent for a boy. Their color was also strange. They were two toned, much like the Reaper's eyes, but instead of gold his were sapphire and amethyst. The blue was the part closest to his pupils.

Arora followed her father to the door, examining her nails. She glanced up and smiled at her weapon. "Hey, Ben!" she said cheerfully.

Ben smiled a bit shyly and was glad his tan hid his blush. "Hello Ara," he said, using the nickname only he and Arora's girl friends could use.

"What are you doing here? Do we have a mission?" she asked.

Ben hid a flash of hurt at that. Even though he was a weapon, he could hide his emotions that showed in his soul from even reapers. He really liked his partner, but was terrified of admitting it in case she didn't feel the same way and it could ruin their friendship and partnership. And he was also scared of her father and grandfather. It's a little frightening when your crush's grandfather was the God of Death

"No, I just wanted to tell you that Athena and Chris are back from their mission," he said.

Arora's grin grew. "Yes, finally! How did they do?"

"Want to go ask them yourself?"

"Yes! Let's go! Bye, Father!"

"Um, bye, Arora, Ben," Kid started.

Arora dragged her weapon out the door before her father could say something about symmetry. Ben blushed when he realized that Arora was holding his hand.

"Hurry up, Ben!"

"Ack… Ara, I'm not a reaper! I don't move that fast!"

Arora sighed and stopped. She held out her left hand and black shadowy skulls shot out of her hand and wrist and formed a black and gold skateboard, much like her father's Beelzebub.

Ben gave it a look and paled. "No. No, no, no. You know how I get motion sickness!"

Arora ignored his words and picked him up, her pale hands on his upper arms. He squeaked in protest, hating that she was so much stronger, physically, than he, as Arora dropped him on the skateboard. "Hold on," she said, grabbing his hand again. She ran in the direction of the Academy, her weapon's sapphire and amethyst eyes squeezed shut and his face pale as he was rushed towards the school.

They stopped at the steps to the school. "We're here," Arora said.

Ben kept his eyes shut and stepped slowly off the skateboard. He sat down on the stairs. "Stop… doing… that…" he gasped out.

Arora laughed. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad. You didn't throw up this time, at least. It doesn't bother you in weapon form."

Ben didn't say anything, just sat there trying to catch his breath.

Arora sighed and smiled good-naturedly. She held out her hand again and retracted Asmodeus, the skateboard. ***2***

"Hurry up, let's go, Ben!"

The weapon stood up shakily and was immediately half-dragged up the stairs by his incredibly strong, fast, excitable reaper meister.

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**Kid and his symmetry... gotta love him. I might put in Hannah and Renner more if you guys want.**

**Minor cliffie... what kind of weapon could Ben be? I already know... first person to guess before I say what he is gets a virtual flying mint bunny! First person to guess that reference gets two!**

***1* I'm not sure what happens when Kid's Sanzu lines connect, other than what happens in the anime at the end. I guessed and went for one that was sort of happy. **

***2* Beelzebub, in mythology, is one of the Seven Princes of Hell, representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Beelzebub is gluttony- food obsession. Asmodeus is lust. I wanted Arora's skateboard to be named after a demon, too.**

**MysticLion- My first reviewer! :D I love you! Thanks for the review! Here's a virtual cookie! And Kid wants to add that it's a symmetrical cookie, so it has his approval. Shush, Kid, I'm answering the reviewer! I don't care if I'm typing asymmetrically!**

**Please review, people! I will give you cookies! ... Yes, Kid, symmetrical cookies. Now hush.**

**(In case you're wondering, Kid is tied up in my closet. I just read him this chapter. He passed out when I described his future daughter.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Four reviews and three chapters? :D Thanks guys! So sorry I didn't post this yesterday, I was at my boyfriend's house, and the day before that my sister went to camp. This is sort of a filler chapter, but the next one will be way better! I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Now I see why authors hate these, they're a pain after a while. I don't own Soul Eater. **

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**Athena POV**

"Good job, you two! How many souls do you have now?"

"Seventy-six, Lord Death," I reported, "counting the ones we just got."

"Excellent! You're becoming just as good of a meister as your father, Athena!" Lord Death said.

I grinned. My hands were stuffed in the pockets of my lab coat and my stance was relaxed but battle ready. In other words, I looked like a short, female version of Papa. I lifted my head, light flashing off my glasses. It didn't impair my vision at all, since I had excellent Soul Perception. It was just fun to see people get creeped out by me.

Chris stood silently next to me as Lord Death turned to him. I bet the Grim Reaper was grinning behind his mask. He clapped his huge white, boxy hands together and said cheerfully, "And Chris, you'll make an excellent Death Scythe, just like your mother is!" Of course, he says almost everything cheerfully…

My brother smiled a bit shyly at the praise and started to thank him, but a cheerful squeal of "YOU'RE BACK!" stopped him.

We both turned and were instantly tackled.

Well, it was just a very excited hug from a grim reaper who had run at us at full speed.

I almost yelped in surprise, but Chris beat me to it. Instead I managed out, "Hey, Ara!" and sort of patted her on the shoulder.

Arora released us and stepped back, beaming. "How was the mission?" She asked.

"Seventy six," I replied.

She looked at Chris.

"It was successful. We took out the three Kishin. The first one almost killed a child, but we got there in time. We have seventy six souls now," my twin translated.

Arora nodded and started speaking, but was interrupted.

"Ara… do you… have to… run through… the whole school…?" A boy's British accented voice called out.

Ben came in, panting, looking exhausted. He paused after passing through the guillotine leading to the Death Room and bent over, his hands on his knees. "You know… where the… Death Room is… so why… did you run… all over the school?" He looked up, his dark hair falling in his peculiar eyes.

Arora chuckled nervously. "I wasn't sure where they would be."

Ben stood up and walked over. "Where else would they be?"

Arora shrugged. She looked at Lord Death. "Hey, Grandfather!"

"Well, hiya! Hey, Ara!" He gave his granddaughter a hug, which she returned. "Good to see ya! How's Kid?"

Arora shrugged. "He's himself. He was freaking out about my hair earlier. I don't get his whole symmetry deal."

While she and Lord Death talked, Ben came over to me and my brother. "So, how did your mission go?"

I opened my mouth but Chris said quickly, "Successful. We now have seventy six souls." I glared at him. "No, you are not going to dissect me. Mom would freak, and you'd have no weapon," he said to me.

I crossed my arms, my eyes obscured by glare. Ben gave me a nervous look that I pretended not to see. He'd always been nervous around me, ever since we met and I kept talking about his oddly colored eyes and asking about them. Maybe it was when I pulled out my scalpel and twirled it between my fingers while staring at him.

"Hey, guys! Let's go find Jerakai and Maki and play basketball!" Arora called, skipping over to us. "And Athena… don't stab the ball with a scalpel this time."

"Hey, it's not my fault! Jerakai wouldn't shut up and it was the closest thing to me! If I didn't stab the ball, I'd have torn him open!"

Ben took a few steps towards his meister while Chris shook his blond head at me.

"Come on!" Arora said, grabbing Ben's wrist and pulling him out of the Death room, calling, "Bye Grandfather!" over her shoulder.

My brother and I bid farewell to Lord Death and followed our friends. Chris turned to me after a second. "Did you see Ben when Arora grabbed his arm?" He asked.

"Yes."

"He blushed."

I gave him a look before saying calmly, "He's done that before. You didn't realize that he liked her? He hides it very well, but I can see it. His soul shows his fluster around her, though it's very slight. Arora probably hasn't realized it because she doesn't really look at people's souls as much as she should. Papa noticed it, and we were talking about that a few weeks ago."

Chris just stared at me.

"What?" I demanded. "I have a scalpel, you know."

He shook his head. "You and Papa… it's creepy. I love you guys, but you are such stalkers!"

I glared at my brother and whipped the shiny silver scalpel out of my pocket. "Take it back!" I growled, irritated.

He laughed, said, "Stalker!" and sprinted after Arora and Ben. I chased him, waving the scalpel. "YOU'RE DEAD, CHRIS! JERK! WHEN I CATCH YOU I'M CUTTING YOU OPEN!"

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**MysticLion: Thanks for reviewing again! There will be more interaction with the original SE characters later. Spirit will be very entertaining later. I don't want to give too much away ;) **

**Kuromaychan: Thanks :) Well, Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, art, and battle strategy. I figured that since Stein is brilliant and they're both good fighters, the name fits pretty good. Here's your reviewer cookie! *gives cookie***

**Thegirlwholeftzeschool: Thanks for reviewing! You get a cookie too! *gives cookie* Yes, Arora is pretty nuts. She's insanely hyper. Ben is freaking adorable. You get the flying mint bunny! One of your five guesses was correct! For people too lazy to read her review, she guessed yo-yo, gun, knife, lantern, and boxing glove. One of these was right. Also, I creeped on your profile. I love Maximum Ride! Are you a member of Max-Dan-Wiz by any chance? You should add me :) there's a link on my bio.**

**Alright, I gotta go find Kid. He's straightening up every picture in my house and freaking out about my asymmetrical kitchen. I told him to stay in my closet! Sigh. Well, please review! More reviews means more, better chapters!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for such a late update. Been busy. Summer stuff, babysitting, utter laziness. And writer's block. IT'S A DEMON. Anyway, here ya go! Chapter five!**

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Chris POV

We found Maki and Jerakai hanging out at her apartment. Well, Maki was sitting on the couch reading and Jerakai was passed out on the floor with a rectangular dent in his head that looked suspiciously like the spine of Maki's book.

Athena glanced down at Jerakai with a look I recognized instantly.

"No," I said. "Don't even think about it."

Arora looked at Maki while Athena glared at me. "Please, Maki?" the reaper begged.

Maki looked unsure. "I don't know… Jerakai would probably play, but I'm not good at basketball…"

"Please? Please please pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Maki sighed and carefully put a bookmark with a beagle on it in her book. "Alright, alright," she said. Her meister sat up and groaned.

"Seriously Maki?" he grumbled, one hand on his head.

Maki stood up. "Yes. You're so much like Grandpa. It's annoying and creepy," she retorted. "We're going to go play basketball," she added. "You guys go wait outside for me, I'm going to change." She gave Jerakai another icy glare before walking down the hallway to her room, I assumed. I'd never really been in her apartment that much, we usually hung out at Gallow's Manor.

Jerakai stood up and grinned. From the looks on my friend's faces, I guessed we were all thinking the same thing: we all half hoped and half dreaded being on Jerakai's team. He was obnoxious as heck, but an incredible athlete.

***Later at the basketball court***

"Alright, two teams of three," Jerakai announced.

Athena gave him an irritated look. "No, duh, Sherlock," she snapped, her hand twitching towards her pocket.

Ben took a few steps away from her.

"I'll be a team captain," Jerakai continued after giving my sister a nervous glare. "Who'll be the other one?"

Arora threw the ball at him, smirking when it hit him in the stomach. "Me," she said. "Get ready to lose!"

Jerakai picked up the ball. "Bring it!" he challenged. "Chris, get over here, you're on my team!"

"Um, okay," I said, walking over and standing a few feet to his left.

Arora pointed at my sister, who grinned sadistically. "Hey, Jerakai, how about girl on guy? Maki, come on!"

Jerakai smirked. "You're on! How about we make it more interesting?" He said as Ben stood next to me and Maki moved to Arora's left and Athena on her right. "Let's say… if you lose, then… Athena can't touch another scalpel for a month or threaten anyone with dissection, we get to hide all of Maki's books, and you… hmm… you have to act like your dad for a month!"

Maki's face paled then flushed with anger. Athena's hand twitched again towards her pocket, only stopping at my look. Arora considered. "How about two weeks instead of a month, and if YOU lose… well, when you lose, I get to tell Ben's secret hobby, Chris can't play any video games except like, girly ones for two weeks, and you, Jerakai, have to dress like a girl for two weeks. And not like jeans and a top. I mean frilly dresses and lace and ribbons."

"Wait, wait, what?! Why? No fair!" I exclaimed in irritation at the same time Ben shook his head wildly at Arora, a panicked look in his eyes. Jerakai nodded, curiosity lighting in his dark eyes at the mention of Ben's 'secret hobby'. "Fair enough."

Everyone but the captains and Athena exchanged panicked looks.

"Let's go!" Jerakai said. He bounced the ball to Arora, who passed it back, and the game began.

We played for maybe 10 minutes before a scalpel lodged itself in the ball. "Athena!" Arora yelled angrily.

Athena looked over. "What?" She looked at the scalpel. "That's not mine," she said, pulling hers out of her lab coat pocket as evidence.

"Yes, I know it isn't. It's mine."

I looked up at the bench. "Papa! What are you doing here?" I jogged over, Athena following me.

Our dad sat on the bench, cigarette in his mouth. "Well, Lord Death has a mission for you and I had to get your attention, hence the scalpel throwing. Can I have it back now, Arora?"

The reaper came over and handed Papa his scalpel. The ball was flat now. She looked at it almost sadly. "Guess our game's off, huh?"

"MAAAAKKIIIIIIIIIII~!"

"No, nononononoooo Grandpa~!" The scythe was instantly wrapped up in a hug from an overly excited Death Scythe.

"Spirit, stop molesting your granddaughter," Papa said, twisting the screw in his head. "These kids need to go see Lord Death."

Mr. Albarn released his granddaughter. I'd seen pictures of him when Miss Maka was our age, and he really didn't look that different. A bit of gray hair and a few lines around his eyes, but he was still almost the same.

He glared at Jerakai. "You better be nice to my granddaughter, ya hear me? I might not be Lord Death's Death Scythe anymore, but her father is and I'm still a Death Scythe! If you so much-"

"Spirit, can you just shut up for a while?" Papa interrupted. Maki sighed in relief when Mr. Albarn crossed his arms but stopped talking.

"So, we have a mission, you said?" I asked.

"Yes. I'd best let Lord Death explain it. I know you just came back from a mission, but I'm sure you're up for it?"

Athena and I nodded.

"Let's go, then," Papa said, turning and walking towards the Academy.

* * *

**Kind of filler-y with a slight cliffhanger. I might post the next chapter today though, if I can type it fast enough.**

**It was weird writing Papa instead of Stein. Just saying. **

**Meh. I'm tired. I guess that's what happens when I go to sleep after midnight every night for the past... month? Two months? Eh, whatever.**

**Copy and Paste? THERE'S AN OPTION FOR THAT? ._. I've been typing everything in separate Word documents... now I don't have to. Better late than never, right?**

**kuromaychan- You're insane. I like that. Lol there will be plenty of madness later, don't worry. And yes, the cookie is symmetrical. Kid made the cookies. Everyone who reviews gets a cookie. You know, 100 is symmetrical if you cut it horizontally, depending on how the 1 is written. Who knows?**

**MysticLion- Haha, yes. There will be plenty of that later. I'll get in all the old cast slowly. I think I wrote Spirit pretty good here, though. And I might have some BenxArora. Just wait. I have a fluffy chapter idea. And it was fantastic at his house. He played Minecraft on the Xbox and I fell asleep on his couch. And his kitten was fluffy and cute.**

**thegirlwholeftzeschool- Yeah, I don't know where the whole global warming thing came from. Kind of disappointing. Sure, it's an issue, but there's no action in recycling and stuff. If, like, Itex had survived maybe and came back with a vengeance that would have been better. I'm thinking about maybe writing a Maximum Ride fanfic. Dunno yet. And yes, Athena carries a scalpel with her all the time. I'm hoping the next couple chapters will make up for boring fillers!**

**Nikku-san- :D thanks yew! For everyone else reading this, this is my boyfriend. Here, have a cookie *gives***

**I am so out of it right now. Coffee might help. I'll get some after posting this. Please review, and I might add the next chapter today!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six! Not really a chapter, kind of a tantalizing, cliffhanger-y preview. I'm so evil. Bwahahahaha! Well, enjoy!**

* * *

****She ran.

Light-headed from hunger, broken nose dripping blood, lungs burning, throat dry and aching from thirst, she raced through the tangled forest, tripping over roots in the dark.

Her orange and black hair whipped around her forehead, limp and full of leaves, dirt, and twigs. Blood oozed form several tiny, painful cuts covering her face and arms where tree branches had scratched her.

She didn't dare look over her shoulder. She knew where she was and how much farther to go.

She hated how slow she was on two feet, but pushed herself forward.

_Just a bit farther, _she thought.

She put on a burst of speed. She was running on adrenalin at this point.

To anyone else there was no discernible difference between the forest past this tree and the forest behind it, but suddenly the girl broke out in a wild grin. "Freedom," she rasped out, before coughing violently, tasting blood in her throat. When she could breath again, she gasped out, "Soul Protect... Release..."

Moments later, she was running on four legs.

_So long, Zetsumei._

* * *

**Shortest chapter yet! Just wait, this character will pop back in in a few chapters. Next update should be today or tomorrow, but I promise no longer than three days unless my mom takes the computer away from me. This chapter is VERY important to the story! You'll see why later.**

**Anywho, I'll work on chapter S-E-V-E-N. Don't wanna say the word out loud or Kid might... never mind. He just started screaming.**

**Revieewwww!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven! Again, filller-y, but the next several chapters are going to be much better!**

* * *

Maki POV

We stood in the Death Room, all of us obviously feeling awkward. Papa had been in the room talking to Lord Death when we came in. And, go figure, Grandpa went nuts.

"You better be treating my Maka right, ya little octopus head***1***!"

"You idiot, you just saw her this morning! I'm treating her like the amazing woman she is, the same way I've been treating her the past 16 years we've been married!"

"She seemed upset about something!"

"She's pregnant, like she's been the past 6 months!"

"So?"

"Seriously? Her hormones are out of control! I can't do anything!"

Professor Stein looked at me. "Care to do the honors?" He asked, handing me a thick book.

I grinned. "With pleasure, professor. Thank you." I turned to my grandfather. "Maakiiiii CHOP!" I slammed the spine of the book into his head.

"Thank you!" Papa said, giving me a hug.

My father, Soul "Eater" Evans, had white hair that was spiked up and to one side. He wore dark gray jeans, black loafers, an orange collared shirt with his soul symbol on the breast pocket, and a black blazer jacket. He wore a thin black tie. I'd seen pictures of him when he was a student here, and he still dressed "coolly" but was more professional since he'd become a Death Scythe, according to Mom. "I'm so glad that you're more like your mother than your grandfather, Maki," he said.

I smiled. "Thanks Papa." Since hearing about how my grandfather had cheated, multiple times, on my grandmother, I was as annoyed with him as my mother, who was expecting. So in a few months I'd have another little brother or sister. I already had a little sister, who was 13, and a meister. She looked more like Papa, with wavy white hair and one blue eye and one red eye. She could wield my weapon form, though not as well as Jerakai. Her name was Seishou.

Athena looked at Lord Death. "So you have a mission for us?"

Lord Death nodded. "Yes. I know you and Chris just came back from a mission, but this is urgent, and requires some of our best meister and weapon students."

We all looked expectantly at him.

He continued, "There's been reports of witch and Kishin activity near the Great Basin National Park***2*** and I need you six to go and check it out. Take out any Kishin you encounter but if you can avoid it, do not engage any witches. Report back to me every evening. You leave in the morning and you should be there for only three days."

He clapped his hands together and added cheerfully, "So go get packed and meet Stein in front of the school tomorrow at precisely 6 A.M.!"

Jerakai's jaw dropped. "SIX IN THE MORNING?" He half shrieked.

Everyone looked at me.

"Maakkiiii CHOP!"

* * *

**Short, filler chapter. Oh well. Fun Soul and Spirit banter :) **

***1* just for you, MysticLion :D**

***2* It's in Nevada. Googled it. I'm guessing Death City is in Nevada, but it doesn't say on Google maps, so I went with what people have said in the fanfics I've read.**

**Just wait for the next chapter. Much more action.**

**kuromaychan- Heh, nope, just had writer's block. Hopefully I'll update more frequently. Dunno yet I'm pretty lazy.**

**emily- You get the reference :D You get two flying mint bunnies!**

**Hello- Hi. Not sure if that's your name or you're a guest, but thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my fanfic :)**

**Does anyone else have a beagle? I do. She's sleeping. There is NOTHING more adorable than a sleeping beagle... except maybe a beagle sleeping next to a sleeping Dachshund.**

**Just saying. I love my dogs.**

**Well, that's about it for this chapiter. Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for the next chapter! **

**Please reviiieewww!**


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys hate me, don't you? Sorry. I was playing Minecraft. It was updated recently. And I got Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, which I beat. That was an awesome game, I recommend it. I also start school Wednesday . At least I get to start driving this year. Of course, I might be writing more, now that I think about it. Since I get work done pretty fast at school, I'll be writing and stuff in my free time. I'm also working on a fanfiction for Kid Icarus: Uprising, another amazing game.**

**Here's another reason for you guys to hate me- I lied about this chapter being exciting. It's another filler. I PROMISE the next one will be better!**

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy the late chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Soul Eater, Resident Evil, Slender, or Amnesia.**

* * *

The next morning, the sun lazily rising, Ben sat on the steps in front of the DWMA. He was reading what appeared to be a sports magazine. In reality, he was hiding a book behind it. His blue and violet eyes flicked up to his meister and her father every so often. He looked uncomfortable, since once again they were arguing.

"Hey, Kid, give it a rest, would ya? Yelling at your daughter isn't very cool," a familiar voice said. You could almost hear the speaker's smirk.

Ben, Kid, and Arora looked up. Soul, Maka, Maki, Seishou, Seishou's weapon partner Lily, and a half-asleep Jerakai- who had obviously been half dragged from his apartment not long ago- were walking over.

Lily was a hyperactive, ADHD girl with huge, pale green eyes, curly hair so light pink it was almost white, and celiac***1***. She was a bow, shooting arrows of her and Seishou's compressed soul wavelengths.

"Hey, guys!" Arora called, waving her friends over. Kid's stressed grimace smoothed into a friendly smile. Ben stoof up and carefully put his "magazine" in his bag, sitting on the step next to him. He walked down to stand next to his meister, hands in his pockets.

Maka's hair was longer than when she was her daughter's age. It was worn down, right now, though usually it was worn pinned back in a more mature look than her old pigtails. Her new outfit was different from her usual one. Since graduating, she'd taken to wearing a short sleeved white school-uniform style top, without the vest, keeping the tie and jacket on missions, and wearing black slacks and boots similar to her old ones but with fewer straps and they were higher. Now, though, she was wearing loose black sweatpants, a very big, dark red shirt, and sneakers. She definitely looked six months pregnant. She flinched slightly and put one hand on the side of her round belly.

Soul noticed and put an arm around his wife and former meister. "Are you okay, Maka?" he asked, worry coloring his words. His other hand brushed a stray lock of hair off her cheek.

Maka sighed but smiled. "Soul, love, I'm fine. the baby just kicked me, is all. He's going to be quite an active child," she said, looking fondly down at her extended stomach.

Maki had a bag slung carelessly over her shoulder, but re-positioned it when she saw Kid. He gave her a grateful smile to his best friend's oldest child as they passed each other.

Maki went over to Ben and Arora, her meister trudging after her, his own bag dragged through the ground and his eyes half-shut.

"I think it's funny how we are waiting on Athena and Chris," Arora said. "I figured you guys would be last, you know, with Mister Sleep-In-Till-Noon there." She smirked.

Jerakai lifted his head to glare groggily at the grim reaper. "Yo, shut up. I was practicing my fighting late last night."

Maki snorted. "Fighting virtual zombies doesn't count."

"Hey! _Resident Evil_ does't just have zombies!"

The other three laughed when a voice called, "Really, you haven't beaten _Resident Evil_ yet?"

They looked up. Two blonde heads and two silver ones where approaching. Marie- who had married Stein shortly after discovering that she was pregnant 16 years ago- looked much the same as she had years before. Her hair was a bit longer now, and she had some lines around her eyes. She wore a less revealing top, although it was still almost the same style. Her skirt was the same, and her boots weren't as high heeled. She still wore an eye patch and was still as spirited and directionally challenged, yet sweet as ever.

Stein and Marie went to talk to their former students while Chris and Athena walked over to their friends.

"Hey, guys!" Arora repeated, grinning. Ben smiled silently and Maki said, "Hi." Jerakai grunted.

"Hey," Chris said with a smile. Athena nodded absently, staring oddly off into space. Her brown eyes were wide, but a bit vacant. She swayed slightly on her feet.

"Um. What's up with Athena?" Jerakai asked.

"Huh? Oh, she's like this every morning before her coffee. She gets that from Mom. We're gonna stop at Deathbucks on the way there or she'll be a zombie the whole day," the blonde hammer said, elbowing his sister affectionately. She blinked at him.

"Oh, speaking of zombies. You want a scary game, Jerakai? I have one word: _Amnesia_. Scariest freakin' game ever. Well, there's _Slender, _but I think _Amnesia_ has it beat." Chris laughed. "And I play horror games all the time."

Jerakai seemed to be waking up. The girls and Ben, minus Athena, who was tracing the stitch on her arm, listened, amused, to Chris and Jerakai bantering over video games. Chris had him beat every time.

"Alright, kids!" A voice interrupted. They all looked up, Athena's golden brown gaze drifting last. Stein stood in front of them. Marie was talking to Maka, and her schoolgirl squeals suggested they were talking about her baby. Soul and Kid were laughing, probably talking about Black Star. "Time for you to get going. Got all your stuff?"

They all nodded, excepting the man's daughter, who just blinked. Stein put his hand on Athena's shoulder, shaking his head but smiling. "Just like her mother with her coffee," he said fondly. Athena smiled a bit, registering his affectionate tone, which he only used for his kids and his wife.

"Alright! Well, anyway, you guys need to get going," the less-mad-than-he-was-before-but-still-pretty-insane scientist said to the other students. "Make sure you stop at Deathbucks and get enough coffee for Athena for the next three days, so she can concentrate. Don't attack any witches, should you come in to contact with one, unless absolutely necessary. Kill as many Kishin as you can find, and report back to us every day, okay?" They nodded. Chris seemed to be taking up the lead now, while his sister was coffee deprived. Although the blonde boy was shy, he was a natural second in command for their little group.

Stein clapped his hands, getting the attention of the other parents. "Well, let's go then!"

* * *

**Derp. Chapter eight.**

**I'll be working on chapter nine right after this, so that'll be up soon and has some action in it. I'm hoping to post that chapter today, but with my easily distracted ADD mind I'll probably go like take pictures of squirrels or something. I like squirrels. I want one for a pet...**

**Gah, see? ADD.**

***1* Celiac is a disease similar to gluten intolerance, but worse, since pretty much any gluten, found in wheat, barely, and other food like that, can seriously harm the person's digestive system. Even a little can cause the person to have horrible stomachaches. How do I know this? Why, my poor little sister has it. She also has Type One Diabetes. She is twelve years old, turning 13 this September. I want to get the word out about these illnesses so more research can be done to hopefully find a cure so we can buy normal food. Though I must say, gluten free peanut butter cookies are pretty freakin' good.**

**What kind of book was Ben reading? I bet no one will guess :) **

**I have not played any of the video games mentioned. I would probably be screaming my head off the whole time. I talk to myself when I play video games and I have to explore everything in the game, too. I don't know why.**

**Chris is a gamer! Who could've guessed? Oh, right, me. Le author.**

**Review response time!**

**kuromaychan- Haha, right? Aww, I used to have a Labrador Retriever. Literally the best dog on the planet. She passed away a few years ago and I still miss her dearly. They're good dogs.**

**MysticLion- No problemo! Is that how you spell it? Spell check says no. Oh well. I think pretty much any sleeping dog is cute. I got a new doggy, a Laphsa Apso. She's 9 and half blind but adorable and fluffy! :D And Maka is pregnant 'cause... I wanted her to be XD It's August, there are always babies in August. It's like, national baby month. **

**Devinhello- Aw, thanks you :3 And you are special. Like everyone :D I will probably put Crona and Ragnorok in here. I'll think of something, just for you. I promise!**

**thegirlwholeftzeschool- Laziness is fine. I really don't have any room to criticize you for being lazy, anyway. Yes, Chapter 6 is a bit confusing, but wait patiently. All shall be revealed soon enough. I shall continue my writing, and hopefully do so more often. My beagle is so lazy. She takes her post-waking up nap, her pre-breakfast nap, her post-breakfast nap, her mid morning nap... so on and so forth lol.**

**And that's that!**

**Well, gotta go work on chapter nine. Review! Kid says do it symmetrically. Get back in the closet, Kid.**

**Peace!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine! Not too exciting. Or is it? Just read it.**

**I have figured out how to see who favorited this story! If I were a sponge, I would be a happy one. *Spongebob reference* But I'm not, I'm an author. I'm a happy author.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Soul Eater. That's why I'm writing a fanfiction about it.**

* * *

"Ahh! Yo! Guys! Can I have some help?! Makiii!"

"Only you, Jerakai," Arora said, watching in amusement as her fellow meister tried to untangle himself from the tent he was attempting to pitch. The girls' tent was already up, and everyone else was now watching as Jerakai tried to put up the boys'. He had claimed he could do it by himself but ended up almost destroying it.

"Seriously, I can't get out!" Jerakai yelped, thrashing around wildly.

"Jerakai, seriously, stop moving!" His weapon yelled at him, standing up with a sigh. He stopped moving, looking sheepish as Maki started untangling the tent.

Athena sat on a fallen log, sipping a travel mug of strong black coffee with tons of sugar in it. Chris was alternately snickering at Jerakai and staring intently at his black 3DS. Ben was coming into their little clearing, arms full of sticks for a fire. Arora was stacking the ones they'd already collected in a neat pile, surrounding it with rocks and pebbles.

After a short while full of cursing, dissection threats, and Maki-chop threats- respectively, from Jerakai, Athena, and Maki- they finally managed to pitch te boys' tent.W

"Well, that was a hell of a lot harder than it needed to be," Chris said, startling his twin. She stared at him. "What? I can curse when I want to," he said.

Jerakai grunted wordlessly and flopped on the grass. Maki picked up a small spider on a tree and put it on Jerakai's head. He froze.

"Wh... wh... what the hell is moving on my head...?" He said, his voice sounding much different than his usual tough guy attitude.

"It's just a little spider," Maki said.

Jerakai whimpered, stiffening. Everyone stared at him. "G... get it... off me... n-now... please..."

Maki picked up the spider and tossed it into the woods.

Jerakai jumped to his feet, shuddering, his eyes wide with horror. "Damnit, don't do that!" He half shrieked, looking as pale as he could be.

"Is something wrong?" Arora asked.

"I... uh... no... I-I'm fine," Jerakai said unconvincingly.

Maki raised her eyebrows and stared at him, unblinking. He fidgeted under her green eyes glare until he finally burst out, "I'm arachnophobic, okay?"

"Oh. Okay," Arora said, shrugging and going back to stacking the kindling. Chris's olive green eyes shifted back to the 3DS in his hands. Athena looked over her twins shoulder, sipping her coffee. Maki gave her meister a small smile before picking up a book and plopping down on Chris's other side. Ben hid a snicker and then wriggled uncomfortably. He dropped the sticks he was holding. "Um. I'll be right back." He walked out of the clearing again.

About two, three minutes later, he came back, his eyes wide. "Guys, I saw a fox," he said.

"Yes? So?" Athena replied.

"It wasn't a normal fox. I've seen foxes before. This one had blue eyes, human eyes. It... it looked into my eyes. A normal fox wouldn't do that."

He took a deep breath. "I think... I think it might have been a witch."

* * *

**Oooh, cliffy!**

**Stay tuned!**

**Meh. Not in the best of moods as I'm typing this. School screwed up my classes. They put me in health, which I already took, and anthropology. I didn't even know what that even is until my friend told me. Whaaaaaat the heck. -_- so I have to get my schedule changed, and that'll be a pain. And I'm not gonna get along well with my Social Studies teacher. But you guys don't want to hear about my problems. That's what my diary that I lost is for.**

**MysticLion- Kid doesn't roll that way. He is married. With children. In my story, anyway.**

**Review, please! Reviews make an author happy, and authors write better when they're happy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, good people! Here is chapter ten!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own Soul Eater. #YOLO!**

**I've always wanted to do that. I feel achieved.**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

She watched form from the shadows. There were six of them, thee boys, three girls, all older than she was.

Of the girls, one had long red hair and wore a lot of green. Another one was a little intimidating, almost scary, with silver hair, glasses that flashed in the bright noon sun, a lab coat, and stitches on her face and arm. The third was a grim reaper, obvious through the three horizontal white striped in her otherwise black hair and her two toned gold eyes. There was a bright, cheerful light in those gold eyes, though.

Of the boys, one was huge, tall and muscular, with dark skin, dressed in blue, black and white. He had freaked out about spiders a short time ago. Another boy, sitting next to the stitched girl, had soft looking blonde hair and a gentle look in his olive eyes, wearing all black and yellow and white. Something about him made her think of lightning. He was engrossed in his 3DS, whatever he was playing. The last boy, wearing nice clothes, with the dark brown hair, had seen her. When he'd finished… answering nature's call- she hadn't watched, of course- He had turned and spotted her, hiding under a bush. His blue and violet eyes had widened as their gazes locked for a moment, before she bolted.

Now, maybe 20 minutes later, she'd circled back and was hiding in the shadows on the other side of the clearing. She was near enough to see and hear them, but far enough to flee if they saw her.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of her hunger. She clenched her belly, trying to muffle the sound. She had had a drink from a stream a short time ago, so her thirst was sated, but she was faint from hunger.

The stitched girl stood up. "Alright, guys," she said authoritively. Her companions looked up expectantly. "We need to start investigating. I say we split up. One pair goes to the nearest town to ask the people about the Kishin activity, another explores the forest where the most reports have come from, and the last pair stays here to guard the camp, since Ben's convinced there's a witch nearby.

The grim reaper held up her hand. "I vote Ben and I stay here. You have the best Soul Perception, and Chris is good with people. Jerakai and Maki should check the trails, because he's the most fit and can trample through the woods and Maki has a good eye for details."

The stitch girl nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds good to me. What do you guys think?"

The others nodded with varying amounts of enthusiasm. The stitched girl threw a canteen at the dark skinned boy, who deftly caught it in one hand. The blonde boy closed his 3DS and put it in a black and yellow bag near one of the tents.

"Let's go, then," the stitched girl said. "Stay safe, and meet back here by six, okay?" The others nodded again and four departed, leaving the grim reaper and the boy with the blue and violet eyes behind.

By process of elimination, she assumed the boy staying here was Ben. The blonde haired boy was Chris, the dark skinned boy Jerakai, and the girl with red hair was Maki.

She remained hidden in the shadows, watching the camp. Ben reached into a cooler and pulled out a soda can, then into a bag and pulled out a granola bar. The sight of the food made her feel weak with hunger.

A few minutes later, when he'd finished his snack, and the grim reaper had sorted out the sticks for what would probably be a fire, the girl said, "Hey, Ben, I'm bored. Let's explore around the camp and see if we can find anything interesting."

The boy nodded agreeably. "Okay," he said, standing up and shoving the wrapper and empty can into a plastic bag. The grim reaper got up and stretched, and the girl in the shadows could see that Ben was trying not to watch her. The reaper turned and sauntered into the trees, followed by the boy.

She in the shadows waited a few moments, then cautiously ventured into the camp. She paused in the center for a moment, then made a wild dash for the cooler and snack bag. Hands with long, thin, shaking fingers ripped apart wrappers. She gulped down a few granola bars and fruit snacks and found some apples in the cooler. She made quick wor of turning one to a core.

She was swallowing the last bite of a cupcake when the crack of a rifle stopped her.

Slowly, she turned. The pointed end of a bayonet attached to a wicked looking, beautiful semi-automatic rifle was inches from her face. She could either be stabbed or shot, or both, in a second. The grim reaper was holding it, finger on the trigger.

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

**Oooh, cliffy! Who is this strange girl? Yes, she's the same one from chapter six, in case you're wondering.**

**Only one review. Hmm. C'mon guys, I need reviiieewwws! That's where I get my energy to continue the story!**

**kuromaychan- Is it a fox witch? Or not? I won't say... yet. Foxes are cute. I don't know about the scent gland thing. I think that;s skunks. Dunno. I'll have to look that up sometime, the band. No time now, gettin's ready for my friend's birthday party.**

**That's about it. PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Enzeru**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, readers! Death the Kid here. Enzeru is making chocolate cake right now. I'm hoping it'll be symmetrical. It smells good. She asked me to upload this chapter while she bakes.**

**She does not own Soul Eater. She has, however kidnapped me!Father, if you read this, please help.**

* * *

**Arora POV**

I glared at this person who had snuck into our camp. She- I was pretty sure it was a she, anyway- looked shocked then scared. Her dirty fingers tightened around the wrapper in her hand. My finger tightened on the trigger.

"Well?" I demanded.

The girl bolted, faster than I expected. I shot wildly in her direction and she froze.

Keeping the rifle aimed carefully at her head, I said coldly, "Unless you want my soul wavelength shot through your skull, I suggest sitting down on that log there." Her blue eyes were wide with fear and I could almost hear her heart pounding, but she complied. Her movements were smooth and silent, if shaky with distress.

I bound her wrists to the log with shadows, a trick my grandfather had taught me. The girl jerked at the shadow roped, though the effort was futile. I lowered the rifle, since she wouldn't be going anywhere yet. The bayonet on the end of the rifle vanished in a flash of light, violet light tinged with gold. The girl's eyes widened more- if that was possible- and recognition flashed in them. My eyes narrowed as I realized she'd been spying on us. I examined her carefully.

She looked pretty young, maybe twelve or so. Her hair went to just between her shulder blades, spiked, looking sort of like fire. (Like Axel/Lea's hair, from Kingdom Hearts, but softer looking) A few stray locks framed her thin, pale, dirty face, reaching her chin. (Like Xemnas's bang thingies, again from KH) Her hair was a shocking shade of fox orange, tipped in black and white. Her eyes were bright, bright blue. Although she looked frightened, there was something about her narrow face that looked mischievous. Her high cheek bones and slanted eyebrows and slightly upturned button nose gave her an elven appearance. She was just barely starting to develop, though it seemed that she'd never be too womanly endowed. Quite the contrary; she seemed pretty boyish, and it showed in her outfit.

She wore an orange tank top under an unbuttoned black collared button down shirt. Orange flames on the black shirt seemed to flicker if you started at them for too long. Black fingerless gloves of an unidentifiable material adorned her wrists. Her long black nails with tiny orange flames looked oddly feminine against her masculine attire. She wore knee length black boy's shorts with a leather belt and black combat boots with orange laces.

I blinked, and when I opened my eyes I activated my Soul Perception. Her soul seemed normal at first glance- orange, with her spikey fiery hair, and looking nervous. But there was something else… I tried to look deeper, but something blocked me. I could tell her soul was stronger than at first glance, and saw a flicker of what looked like fire, but that was it. I returned to normal vision to find her examining me warily.

"Who are you?" I asked again, calmer this time.

She remained silent.

I sighed. "What's your name, then?" I asked instead. Surely she could answer that one.

She hesitated, but said, "Felicity."

I was surprised. It was such a… a cute girly name. It clashed with her virile looks. Her voice was soft and kind of sweet, but had a strange undertone that reminded me of a canine growl or some reson.

"What's your name?" She asked boldly.

I was even more startled. "You are no position to be asking questions," I growled. She simply looked at me. I decided to ask another question. "How old are you?" She seemed way too young to be wandering around the woods by herself.

She paused, like she had to think about it for a minute. "I'm… thirteen."

Examining her more analytically, I started to ask, "Why were you…" but I stopped. Upon more a more scrutinizing inspection, I realized her face and arms were covered with scratches; one of her fingers was slightly swollen, as if she had sprained it and it was healing; fading bruises that were probably black and purple not long ago peppered her pale, tanned skin, especially around her slender neck, as if she were chocked; one of her eyes was shadowed, as if she'd been punched. Her hair was dirty and looked limp, even though it seemed naturally spiked, and there were a few leaves and a tiny twig in it.

I felt unwelcome sympathy trickle into my soul for this child who had snuck into our camp. I hugged my rifle to my chest unconsciously, not realizing I was giving my partner and best friend a tight hug. In an unfocused corner of my mind, I squeed and blushed. Most of me remained focused on the problem at hand: Felicity. "What happened to you?" I asked quietly.

She flinched, a haunted look entering her blue eyes. She trembled slightly and my empathy deepened. "You wanted to know why I'm here, in your camp, didn't you?" she said.

I decided to let the first question go for now, since it seemed to strike a raw, horrible memory. "Yes," I replied instead.

"Well, I saw you had food, for one, and I was about to pass out from hunger," she told me.

Ben's face and bare, broad shoulders flashed onto the dark metal of the rifle as I shifted my weight. He rarely did that. I think it's because he's ridiculously self-conscious, with his human form being, well, naked, when he was a weapon. But honestly, I didn't see a problem with that. His… secret hobby kept him subtly ripped, not overly muscled like Jerakai, but softer while still being strong and, well, attractive… in that little part of my mind I wondered if he'd ever realize my feelings for him. He was a lot like my dad- sweet, gentlemanly, polite, formal, but laid back and calm and focused. Only, Ben was shy and didn't spaz out or anything about symmetry. He was sweet, and cute, and kind, and supportive and…

_Arora! Focus! Child snuck into camp, covered in scratches and bruises. _Waking up from my subconscious daydream, I asked, "There's more, isn't there?"

She nodded. Felicity's brilliant blue eyes stared intently into my two-toned gold reaper eyes. "Yes. I need the Academy's help, and they need mine."

* * *

**Enzeru here! Sorry, I as baking cake, as Kiddo-kun said. He's frosting it for me.**

**So, reviews.**

**KuroEnzeru: Hey, it's me! Lol. Yes, I reviews on my own story. Please read this review, important info!**

**thegirlwholeftzeschool: Go laziness! *would give high five but is too lazy* Minecraft 1.3.2 now :D I'm building huge freaking chinese dragon on my boyfriend's server. And I made Jack Skellington. :) And yes, there will be more revealed secrets and stuff later, as well. And, uh, yeah. Gun thing. *points to chapter* it's Ben. *absorbs energy* thank you!**

**kuromachan- yes, you were. But now you aren't. lol. Yay for kuro-ness!**

**Alright, gonna go eat my cake. I'll update within the next two weeks, hopefully.**

**Please review! Tell your friends to review too! Kid says do so symmetrically.**

**~Enzeru**

**-And Death the Kid-**


	12. Chapter 12

** In my defense for not posting sooner, we (my family and I) found a litter of kittens are are taking care of them and their mother untill they get old enough to go to new homes. And I get to keep one :D Also, school a *! $%%^ #%#%^& freaking annoying with a crapload of homework. So, here's a cliffie chapter and a new character, sent in by... my brain. I came up with this new guy, I mean. Anyway. Enjoy!**

**WARNING: This chapter contains a very detailed description of gore. If you're squeamish, don't read this! I'll put a little summary in the AN of the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: derp.**

* * *

Athena suppressed a shriek of frustration, silver scalpel flashing between her fingers. She wanted to cut all these people open, to rearrange their insides, to play with their DNA and force information out of them.

Chris put a gentle hand on his sister's tense shoulder. "Athena, calm down, it's fine," he said quietly, matching his soul wavelength to hers. Feeling their souls resonate for a moment, Athena was instantly relaxed.

She sighed and slipped the scalpel back in her pocket. "Sorry," she said to the only person she would apologize to.

Chris smiled and replied, "Just relax, okay? It'll be fine." When she nodded, he continued, "So, they all know about the Kishin attacks, but are lying about it?

"Yes. They don't trust us. They're all human here, of course. Unless there's a witch with Soul Protect. But yes, when we ask about the Kishin, they get nervous and deny the attacks."

"So..." Chris sighed and crossed his arms. "I'm guessing that means the attacks are worse than we thought."

A sudden hiss from the shadows of a nearby ally startled the teenagers. A young man stood there, beckoning to them.

The Stein twins looked at each other, souls resonating briefly. They often communicated this way, in images and emotions more than words. It was much faster. Athena was questioning and uncertain, but Chris wondered what the man wanted. They agreed silently to see what he wanted. They went over.

"You kids dunno what yer askin' 'bout, do ya?" The man rumbled quietly, his voice thick with a Southern accent. His clothes- a black leather jacket with a hood lined with brown fur, torn, faded jeans, and black cowboy boots with silver spurs- were dirty, as if he's been living on the street for a while. His hair was long, to his shoulders, but spiky. Locks of dark brown hair fell into his face and stuck up at random angels that seemed to prefer sweeping to the left. One of his eyebrows was pierced, as well as both his ears, his nose, and one ear had three piercings. His eyes were tow different colors: the left one was glowing, blood red, and the other was deep, bright, light green. A strange symbol was tattooed in blood red on his right hand: a six pointed star in three circles with what looked like runes or some kind of weird writing.

"We want to know about the attacks that have been going on around here. We're from the DW-" Athena started.

"Shh! I know where ya'll're from. Look, quit askin' 'bout it. Real bad idea 'round here," the man said,

"And why is that?" the slightly unstable meister demanded.

"She'll getcha soon enough..." he mumbled, a slightly crazed look entering his two colored eyes. "Her monsters torment us ev'r night..."

"Who? What monsters? The Kishin, you mean?" Chris questioned.

The man looked around, alarmed. "Keep yer voice down, kid! Said too much a'ready. 'Spose I could 'least explain the monsters."

The twins waited expectantly.

"You seen them zombie movies, right? Livin', reanimated dead bodies with a cravin' for human flesh? That's what these are. They're zombies."

"Zombies?" All Athena could think of about zombies was the teacher, Sid. When he had died, her own father had taken the man's soul, resurrected it, fixed his body, and stuck the soul back in. Sid's body was pretty much dead, but his soul was very alive.

"Mhm. Easy enough to kill, just overwhelmin' 'cause they attack in numbers, and ya gotta make sure they stay dead. Best way is to-" he stopped suddenly and looked past the kids' shoulders. He cursed.

The twins started to turn their heads, then jumped, half-whirling, as a woman's scream pierced the air. It was followed by a few other shouts, doors slamming, locks clicking. Athena grabbed for her brother's hand, and he readied himself to transform.

What appeared to be an army was walking down the now otherwise empty street. No, they didn't walk. They shuffled, limped, crawled, stumbled. Slowly, but steadily.

The members of this army dripped with fluids: blood, saliva, other unmentionable, unspeakable, unknown liquids and slimes. Some of them dropped a loosely attached limb, leaving behind twitching body parts. Their flesh was peeling, decaying, rotting, turning red and black and blue and green. Shiny white bone and black, dead tissue was exposed through the gaps in the skin. Some of them still had disgusting, dirty, choppy hair still in clumps on their scalps, crusted with dirt and blood. Many were missing things like eyes, teeth, fingers, vital organs, limbs. The ones that had one or both eyes, the irises of their eyes were literally glowing red. Maggots, spiders, and other creepy crawlies skittered, squirmed, and wriggled over the bodies, oblivious to the fact that the corpses they inhabited were moving. The dead people wore ragged, ruined, filthy versions of whatever they wore when they were buried. Wordless, inhuman moans and grunts escaped their decayed throats.

The man in the ally with the twins cursed again, but this time a wicked smirk lit his dirty, handsome face. He raised his right arm, fingers loosely curled, and the tattoo on his hand lit up for a moment. When the light faded, a huge, wicked black machete was clenched in his fist. The twins started.

"Don't just stand there!" The man snapped. He grinned madly. "Let's get to some decapitation here!"

Athena's own madness hummed in her ears. Her lips twitched upward into an insane grin that revealed her perfect white teeth. "Chris," she said calmly, glasses glared over.

The blonde boy nodded worriedly and in a flash of yellow light transformed into his silver sledgehammer form. Athena twirled him around expertly, a crazed giggle emitting from her lips.

"Hold on to yourself, Athena," Chris said quietly.

They ran into battle.

* * *

**Yayy... zombies. :D It was fun describing them!**

**HazelFireSky- Hi! Thanks :D I'm glad you like it! Here's your reviewer cookie! *gives* If you wanna send in an OC, feel free. Not sure when I could put he/she in, but I'll definetly do so! I don't have a bio form, really. I'd just need their name, age, a description of their looks and usual clothes, personality, weapon or miester and abilities, and any other details.**

**Also, I'm thinking about making another fic. I'm already working on one for Kid Icarus: Uprising, still. Got three chapters of that done, revised versions, anyway, and I'm writing a horror novel I'm hoping to get published or something when it's done. But I want to make a fic with a partner for Hiro, since he's only in one episode and he'd be so awesome with a good partner. If you guys think I should write that too, then let me know!  
**

**Next update, tentatively, should be within two weeks, unless I can use the computer tomorrow, then I'll post chapter thirteen tomorrow to make up for not updating in like twenty days.**

**That's all for now! Please review! Tell your friends and neighbors and the squirrel living in the tree in front of your house to review too!**

**~Enzeru**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well. Hello there, FanFiction. I haven't been on this website since... September? October? I don't even remember. I've been busy being a sophomore and stuff. And I sort of forgot about my fanfic. I'll try to update more now that I remember my password and stuff, but I can't promise anything. I've been writing other stuff too. Not to mention playing video games and reading and drawing and becoming a Brony... Busy, busy, busy. Here's the LONG overdue chapter thirteen. Disclaimer, blah blah.**

* * *

"There is nothing out here!" Jerakai's frustrated voice rang out into the quiet forest, startling two squirrels and some birds nearby.

"Jerakai, calm down," said Maki, her her slightly annoyed face appearing on the blade of the black and green scythe in Jerakai's hands.

The meister grumbled incomprehensibly, kicking a rock. He stomped along the trail, not really paying attention to where he was going until he almost ran headfirst into a tree.

"Jerakai, watch where you're going!" Maki snapped.

He glared at his weapon but didn't answer, just kept walking.

They had been walking the trail for a while now, maybe an hour. They'd seen nothing more than plants, animals, dirt, rocks, and other nature things. Maki was enjoying the scenery, but Jerakai was getting impatient. OF course, this was nothing unusual.

"Wait, there's a-"

Jerakai swore as he tripped over a tree root. He slipped and fell to the ground. Maki clattered on to the dirt path. She transformed into her human form in time to land crouching on her feet. She half crawled to the side of the path, examining a tangle of thorns.

Jerakai muttered a few more foul words. "I can't say you didn't warn me. Death, that hurts." He sat up and rubbed his ankle, making a face. He looked at Maki, who was oblivious. "Oh, don't worry, I'm fine, though, thank you," he said sarcastically. His ankle didn't hurt very badly. Probably just twisted.

Maki glanced over her shoulder. "Sorry. Look, come here." She pointed to something dark in the thorny weeds.

Jerakai crawled over to his partner, favoring his ankle. "What is it? Fabric?"

Maki nodded. "Denim, to be exact. And it's got blood on it."

Jerakai shrugged. "So someone else dumb enough to come hiking through the woods tripped and got his or her jeans stuck in the weeds. Woopee."

Maki sighed patiently. "Look. The brush is trampled. Whoever it was, was moving fast. They ran through the weeds, going from the forest on to the path." She frowned. "It's suspicious..."

Jerakai shrugged again and got to his feet, grunting and wincing as he put weight on his slightly sore ankle. "Well, we're figure out more if we keep moving, right?"

Maki gave a short nod and accepted her meister's hand in helping her up. The two of them continued, slowly, keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

"Hey, is that another path?" Jerakai asked, stopping. Maki stopped too and looked at the break in the trees he was staring at. She replied, "I think it is. It's looks pretty grown over, though. Do you want to explore it?"

Jerakai nodded and said, "Sure." He glanced at his much shorter companion and frowned. For a split second her face was creased with worry. "Why don't you turn into weapon form?" He suggested.

Maki shook her head. "I'm fine. It's easier to see when I'm in my human form."

"If you insist," Jerakai said doubtfully, letting it go but still worrying about his partner. He led the way into the overgrown path, holding aside branches and vines for her.

Their progress was slow and cautious. This small path led them deeper into the forest, and the trees were larger here, covered in parasitic vines. The weeds and undergrowth grew rampant.

"It is just me, or is it getting darker?" Maki sounded frightened.

Jerakai gave his weapon a sharp look. She had her arms wrapped around herself and she looked scared. But she was right. The light seemed to be getting dimmer. Color seemed to leech away. He looked up. Between the thick canopy, he saw clouds had covered the sky. They grew darker and heavier with each step the pair took. "It's cloudy. Might rain," he said. Despite himself, he was feeling paranoid too. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and his skin prickled. Every shadow lurched and swayed, and he thought he saw spiders hiding behind every tree. He shuddered.

"I think it's definitely going to rain soon," Jerakai muttered. The air felt heavy with moisture and mist was starting to coil around their feet.

"Hey, what's that?" Maki asked after a moment, pointing ahead.

Jerakai squinted. "It looks like a gate or something. What's it doing here, in the middle of the forest?" He sped up a bit to check it out.

Sure enough, the thing was a tall, ornate wrought iron fence, probably very beautiful once. Now,it was rusted in several places, covered in thick vines, bent and twisted. Jerakai pushed hard on the part of the fence covering the path thinking it may be a gate. His suspicions proved true when the fence started to move inwards with a horrible squeal. The vines pulled back, resisting, but Jerakai pushed harder. The vines ripped and the rusty hinges squeaked loudly, causing both weapon and meister to flinch. There were deep grooves in the dirt path where Jerakai's sneakers dug into it as he pushed open the gate.

Maki paled. "Oh... no... I... I don't like the looks of this..." she murmured. She peered ahead of her meister, squinting through the thickening mist. "What are those stone things?"

Jerakai had a sneaking suspicion about those stones, but didn't want to alarm Maki. "Let's check it out," he said instead.

Ignoring Maki's squeak of protest, Jerakai stepped past the open gate. The red haired girl followed close, her green eyes wide in fear and her arms wrapped around herself. She shivered violently. The air was getting colder by the second as the mist became a fog. Jerakai glanced down at his partner, noting the goosebumps on her bare arms and her chattering teeth. He shrugged out of his thick hoodie and awkwardly draped it over Maki's shoulders.

Startled, Maki looked up at her meister. He gave her a half smile and tipped his at up to see better, his dark eyes roaming around the foggy forest, squinting at the stones.

Maki as touched by her partner's kindness. Really, he wasn't such a bad guy. Sure, he was egotistical, stubborn, and thick headed, but he was really sweet. That protective, older brother nature he tried to keep hidden showed through his tough guy attitude sometimes, which was one of the reasons they were partners.

She pulled his hoodie tighter around her small body. The warm feeling she had at her partner's kindness was replaced by a cold dread when she realized what the stones where. Where they were.

"It's a graveyard."

* * *

**Sorry it took so long. I don't know when I'll update again. I'll try for soon, though I have to rewrite the next several chapters. I don't think I'm doing much at school this week, other than driving, so I might be able to write more.**

**Oh, yeah. The summary of the last chapter. New character, he can manifest a weapon- He'll be explained more later- and Chris and Athena found out the Kishin are zombies. That's all, really.**

***sigh* I'm sick right now. And having drama. Found out one of my good guy friends likes me, but I don't feel the same, and I have an amazing boyfriend. Anyone have any advice for this situation? I don't want to stop being friends with him.**

**I'll work on chapter 14 as soon as I post this.**

**Review and stuff. **

**~Enzeru**


	14. Chapter 14

**Driving is stressful. o_o" I want to quit but I know I have to learn. I wish I could just buy a horse. Or a dragon. Or a TARDIS.**

**Started watching Doctor Who. Freaking amazing show. I love it.**

**Here's chapter 14! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer. Whatever.**

* * *

"Help us?" Ben sounded confused. He crossed his arms self consciously over his bare chest, glad only his head and shoulders appeared in weapon form. "Help us with what?"

Felicity fidgeted nervously. "I... I wish I could explain it all right now... but I have to get some very important information to Lord Death."

"What kind of information?" Arora asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It... it's not safe here..." Felicity had a haunted look in her eyes. She looked around, looking unnerved and paranoid. "She could be anywhere..."

"She?"

"Or her monsters..."

"What are you talking about?" Arora was getting impatient. Ben gave her a worried look, biting his lip.

"We need to get back to Death City. It's the safest place to be... They..." She shuddered violently. "You have to let me go."

Arora shook her head, confused. "You aren't making any sense! I'm not letting you-"

_Snap._

Felicity's eyes widened.

_Snap, snap._

The girl began to tremble.

A guttural moan cut through the peaceful forest.

Arora whirled towards the sound, holding Ben at the ready. "What was that?"

"No, no, no, no... Not here, no, no more! I can't take it any more!"Felicity wailed. Arora reeled from the pain and fear radiating from Felicity's hectic soul wavelength. Whatever was heading towards them, Felicity knew what it was, and it was bad.

"Felicity. What. The. Hell. Is. That?" Arora ground out through clenched teeth, getting a hold of her own soul's wavelength and pounding heart.

"It's _her _Kishin. She's... they're coming... Let me out, hurry!" Felicity pulled violently at the shadow bonds. "You won't be able to take them out alone!" Her voice was getting shrill, her eyes wild.

Arora gritted her teeth. "You're probably tricking me, aren't you? it's probably nothing more than a squirrel or something."

Ben bit his lip and his image flashed on the gun. "I don't know, Ara. She sounds pretty serious. So do those moans. Maybe we should trust her," he murmured to his meister.

Arora let out a frustrated sound. "When this... whatever it is comes, I'll make my decision," she said aloud.

Ben looked away, pushing his glasses- the only thing he still wore in weapon form- higher on the bridge of his nose. "Let's hope it won't be too late," he whispered.

"You... please! You don't know what you're getting in to! We have to leave! There will be too many... too many... let me OUT!" Felicity screeched, writhing.

* * *

**Chapter 14. Kinda dull. Just building up the tension. I'll type more on my iPod and stuff. **

**Now, before I go off to watch more Doctor Who, I shall respond to my new reviewer!**

**Saphirrewolf- Thanks :D Glad you like it. Reviewer cookie? *offers cookie***

**Did you guys see the new cover? It's Arora, drawn by a good friend of mine. I would have drawn my own cover, but I can't draw on the computer, only on paper.**

**K. Off to Netflix-land now! **

**Peace!**

**~Enzeru**


	15. Chapter 15

**Audience? What are you doing, reading the AN?**

**INTRO OF DARKNESS, THEN REDNESS, THEN WHITENESS!**

**Another day, another chapter! Or week. Or century. When am I posting this? What year is it? Time sure flies when you fly through time. **

**So, some fun stuff is coming up. Battles and stuff. I'm really tired. SO. MUCH. FREAKING. HOMEWORK. GAAAHHHRRBLARGJDFASDKFHSD. So, since I got so tired of drawing the giant freaking horse skeleton I'm supposed to be drawing for my animal science class, I'll write this!**

**Disclaimer. And stuff. Do I have to put this? Is it mandatory? I don't get it!**

* * *

Athena slammed the head of the sledgehammer into a zombie's head, making the undead monster's head bash inward. Gray mush and cold red blood and other questionable liquids exploded outwards. In the warped black space, Chris shuddered. "This is so much more disgusting in real life," he complained.

But his meister was beyond hearing him. Laughing giddily, she spun around, crushing two zombie's chest cavities and squishing them together. Athena shoved the hammer upwards, bursting open the zombie's heads. With another whirl, she jabbed the blade of the hammer into the empty eye socket of a zombie behind her. She jerked the blade sideways, slicing open the zombie's head.

"Oh, so much blood!" Athena cried. Her big, bright brown eyes were clouded with madness, her pupils dilated with adrenaline and her grin eerily Cheshire cat-like.

The man fought with more force than Athena, though his weapon was more delicate than a huge sledgehammer. He was a huge bear, while Athena was a tiger.

The man chopped a zombie's head clean off and slammed the blade down on the head of another. "Atta girl! Aim for th' heads!" He yelled to the silver haired child, stabbing through another zombie's chest and raking the machete upwards, slicing the monster almost in half. Blood pooled around the collapsed body, making the road slick and wet. Another zombie tripped in the blood and fell on its face. The man stomped down on its head, shattering the skull and spraying blood and mushy gray brains everywhere. Without turning around, he jerked his elbow into the skeletal face of a zombie bearing down on him. The zombie's bones shattered like a bloody, brutal version of a pool of thin, cracking ice, like a baseball hitting a window. Blood spurted out, showering the street with spatters of vivid red.

The smells swam in Chris's head, making him nauseous. He was glad he was in weapon form, else he would have added his stomach contents to the mess. The rusty odor of blood, the stench of decayed flesh, the stink of sweat and fear and adrenalin. "Athena, how are you holding up?" he yelled over the moans and shrieks of the undead.

Athena was giggling, an almost cute sound, except that it was insane. She was almost beyond reach, enjoying the violence, madness singing in her head, wrapping around her mind, enveloping her soul. A faint voice called out to her. Her name? That was her name. Right? Yes, of course it was. Her heart pounded in her chest, her blood raging through her veins, her clothes covered in blood. She felt... out of time. The world seemed to slow down around her as the voice wormed into her mind. _Athena! Please, answer me! Your soul is so out of tune, it's hectic! The madness, it's taking over you, you need to hold on to yourself! Please, please, say something! _The voice sounded familiar... She blinked, the world coming back into focus. She felt like she'd just woken up from a deep sleep. Her mind was foggy, fighting back with her, trying to lock her away again. Fear struck her as a zombie swung at her.

"C-Chris?" Athena stammered, ducking and jabbing at the rotted corpse.

"Oh, thank Death you're okay! Athena, you need to keep control of yourself. You'll kill everyone here, zombie or not, if you let the madness take over," Chris said. "There's only a few left, okay? You can take them out without letting the madness win. Right?"

Athena nodded, tightening her grip on the hammer. "Got it."

The rest of the battle was fast.

Finally, the head of the hammer crashed down on the last zombie's skull. The street was littered with bodies. Athena stood still, panting, scanning for more hostiles.

The man walked towards her, bloody and grinning.

"Think that's all, Chris?" Athena murmured.

Chris's face appeared on the hammer's head and he nodded. "I think so. Wait, look... the bodies are vanishing!"

He was right. The monsters were disappearing- crumbling into dust. Soon, all that was left was gray dust and red blood drying on the street. There were dull red souls floating in the air, but they faded. Athena frowned, about to comment, but the man was next to her now.

"Nice fightin', girly. Learn that at school?" He asked, grinning.

Athena nodded once. "Yes. My father taught me. And don't call me 'girly,' my name is Athena. My brother is Chris." She lifted the hammer and Chris half waved.

"Yer father? Hmm, I thought you looked familiar! I used t' go to the Academy. Dropped out a couple years ago. I was only there for a few months. Yer the Professor's kids, ain'tcha? Him and the pretty blonde Death Scythe, Marie, yeah?"

Athena raised an eyebrow. "Yes." She narrowed her eyes slightly. She hadn't looked at his soul yet...

There was a flash of red light from the man's hand. His machete vanished.

"What's up with your weapon, man?" Chris asked. He was still in weapon form.

The man chuckled dryly. "Athena, can you see souls?"

Athena nodded again. "You don't mind if I look at yours?"

"It'll show you enough."

Athena arched an eyebrow, but looked at the man with her Soul Perception. What she saw sickened her and shocked her. "It... There's... It looks almost like Crona, a weapon inside you, except it's so much weaker than you and it's... Fused to your soul..."

Chris looked horrified, his face and bare shoulders a reflection on the hammer. "It's... What?"

Athena stepped back warily. "Explain yourself!" She ordered.

The man chuckled darkly. "The mysterious tale of Kurosu and Isamu. I ain't repeatin'it, so pay attention, kids. How'd I get a weapon inside me? Well..."

* * *

**Bwahaha! Cliffhanger. :) **

**I must go to write my Doctor Who fanfiction now. I'm not really sure where to go with it. If any of you read it when I post it, ideas would be great. I'd need a bad guy, I think. **

**I love Doctor Who. I feel so empty now that I've finished it. So... I must now rewatch it all!**

**Alright, then, I'm gonna go... write some stuff... and stuff. **

**Outro of... heh. Sorry. Mimicking Tobuscus. But I'm too lazy to keep doing that. Do I have to disclaim that? I dunno. Whatever.**

**Peace out!**

**~Enzeru**


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